Merry Christmas

(click on picture)
Happy Holidays!!!

Book Seven Title

Ok. This isn't craft-related at all but.......



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



Woooooohoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it means hallows, like in All Hallows eve. Halloween. A Deadly Halloween.
It's Harry's worst day of the year. His parents were murdered on Halloween. In all the books, something bad always happens on Halloween.

Maybe Voldy will start his war on Halloween. Any ideas anyone?

New Guest Map

I just wanted to post a quick note telling you all about my new Guest Map located in the right margin over there somewhere along the top. -------------->

Please, if you have time, stick a pin in your little corner of the world and say "Hi!"

I'm curious as to where most of my visitors are from. (No spamming. However, you can leave a link to your own sight).

Potter Purse Fabric Fun

Today I'm posting on my IMac and so it will all be in one boring color. (When you use Safari, there are no choices for cool things like color, fonts, etc.) I usually use my "craptop" but not today.

I like to make purses, (obviously), and especially out of old jeans. I wanted to post a little "How To" on it so you could make one too. (I think I accidentally had the cursed "white" button pushed and everything looks bluish for the first bag. Sorry about that.) All images are clickable for enlargement. I'm using My Online photos to host these. I don't think they give you very much bandwidth so I guess we can just view them while we can and see how long they stay up.

1). Cut the leg parts off, sew it together along the bottom. (I added a strip of Gryffindor-colored fringe on this one.)
2). Use the leg scraps to braid into a strap.
3). Wrap more fabric over the braided strap and sew it together or just leave the strap the way it is. (But you may not like all the fraying).
4). Sew the strap to the sides.
5). Embellish the bag however you like. I used the "Escape from Privet Drive" fabric for this bag. Also a "Chaser/Beater" fabric and a Harry flying during a Quidditch game. I lined it with a blue fabric with teeny tiny flowers.







My favorite fabric is the Pesky Pixie fabric which I used to decorate this bag. Ron and Hermione on the front. Harry and what I think is the Burrow on the back. (I think the Burrow is from the "Escape From Privet Drive" fabric.) I left the fabric off the strap so you could see what it looks like. You just cut the leftover leg fabric into strips and start braiding.

This next one is just a Ravenclaw House Shield fabric purse. I left it plain on the front. The back has the Ravenclaw shields on each back pocket, (it must all be sewn by hand so you don't sew the pockets shut!!!!), and for the brand name tag area I sewed a piece with a Snitch on it. The lining is a greenish ivy.







It's a good idea to line your purse with fabric. It doesn't have to be Potter fabric. It can be stars or whatever. I used the same one with tiny flowers for this bag too. For keeping closed you can buy those really nice magnetic closures.



More Shields. This purse is a Hufflepuff. The front is also plain. I like the stars fabric on the straps.











Oh yes. This is different. Two pairs of pants had those side pockets with lots of compartments. So when I cut off the legs for straps, I saved the two pocket pieces and sewed them together, (back to back), Then I added a shield to each side. I think with a long, thin strap of some kind it would make a cute bag. I'm not sure it's wide enough for a cell phone. They are all so different so maybe. I don't know. I put some pens in the pictures so you could see the size.






This last bag is the one I use all the time. My son had just gotten these jeans and was riding his bike in our neighborhood when one pantleg got caught in the chain/spoke area. It ripped a line straight up one pant leg, (and NOT on a seam either!) He had to walk home in these torn jeans, pushing the bike, whose wheels weren't working because the cain came of).

Well, I decided to use the jeans for a purse. So this is what I did. I added two Harry Potter bracelets with potion bottles (joined together), by looping them to the front belt loops. I lined it with the sparkly Chaser/Beater fabric. I added a magnetic closure where the button is. Just along side it. Works great!


On the back I added a rose patch. Also, I got this great jean fanny pack at Goodwill which has a belt attached. I simply added the belt around the purse like you would if you were wearing the fanny pack as it was meant to be. It adds a LOT more pockets and compartments to the purse. I like to keep coupons up there. I also added a black hearts patch to the back of the pack. To the front of the belt I added a Slytherin sticker.


This purse is much more discreet. You can be a crazed Potter fan and nobody would even notice unless they got up close to you. I still like the Pesky Pixie purse the best. Maybe some day I will be brave enough to use it!

The Whole World In Her Hands

Where in the world have I been? Working on this Globe Tote!
(Click to enlarge images).





It's done in tunisian using a graph of the map of the world.



Here's the bottom and top. The Antarctic had to be a perfect circle. The top has white shells that, when cinched closed, kinda, sorta, make up the Arctic.

When I started this project, I had tons of leftover yarns to use for the land; but I had no medium blue like I wanted for the water. I decided to use this variegated Red Heart yarn because it had the kind of blues in it I wanted. Well, guess what. When I was halfway through, I read the color lable on the pagkage, (worried that I may run out and need more), and do you know what the color was??? Ocean!!!!! LOL!!!! I was so surprised!



Here's the side where I joined the two ends after I made the graph. There is a strap going down each side from top to bottom.



I used a sparkly fingering baby yarn, (two strands) to do the straps. Then, to represent clouds, I trimmed the whole bag and straps in this super fine, soft sky-blue Moda Dea yarn. It's really wispy and nice.


I chained a drawstring for it. Hope you can see it there. This is up-side-down so it's along the bottom.

House Shield's Footstool

All images are clickable for enlargement
Since doing the House Shield's Afghan, I had an idea to make the shields fit onto this vinyl-weave type fabric and maple footstool cross-stitch kit I picked up at Hobby Lobby last year.







It's from a company called Crafterspride but when I went to their link, the item is not available so I guess it was discontinued. I did find a few for sale on e-bay for ridiculous prices.

Anyway,

It had been lingering in my closet a while now because I really didn't want to make the original rose pattern they have provided in the package. Bleh. How boring.

So, when I saw some wine cozies that a gal, (hardhat_cat), over at the Harry Potter Crafts group had knitted, I knew she must have used graphs, (and really great-looking graphs too, I might add). If you join the group, you can access the photos. Her photo album is called Cats Corner. Fabulous stuff!

I sent her an e-mail asking about them and she sent me the graphs. Woohoo! They look awesome! I will try to crochet a wine cozy eventually, but this is how I used the graphs so far.


(Clicky)

The kit comes with everything you need, but I had to use my own floss for all the House colors. I used to be way into cross stitch so I have a lot of floss.

I wanted to make the bench nice from either side you viewed it from, so I turned the two bottom shield's graphs up-side-down and I had to stitch two in reverse so they would all be facing inward, (even though the badger is looking the other way). (Sneaky badger!)

After you do the cross stitching, you assemble the wood parts with wood glue. (Oh, you need that too. Wood glue. The kit doesn't have it). The pieces just slide into place. It's a really nicely crafted wood kit.

Then, you have to sew the vinyl-weaved stitch project to the top of the stool using some strong Cane Cord provided in the kit. It really seems sturdy now. I think it will hold up nicely.

Oh, one more thing. I joined another group. http://happyhookerchaingang.blogspot.com/
They work on projects whose patterns are in that Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet book by Debbie Stoller. This months challenge was the skull potholder - but - you had to "personalize" it to your own liking.



Front



Ugly back
Well, you all know what I HAD to do. Here's skulled Harry (I suppose after death), still wearing his glasses, Gryffindor scarf, and I guess that darn scar of his went all the way to the bone! LOL!!!